Modern data processing systems, such as a general purpose computer, a handheld computer, a cellular telephone, media players, etc. are typically used for a variety of purposes, including uses relating to maintaining lists of items to do or maintaining notes or information for the user and/or allowing the user to transmit electronic messages, such as email, to other users, often through a network. Certain data processing systems utilize one application program to provide email facilities and another application program to provide a calendar facility. An example of such a data processing system is the Macintosh computer from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. An email program known as “Mail” provides email functionality while a separate application program known as iCal provides calendaring functions. There are also examples of an application program which provides a combination of such facilities, such as the program Entourage from Microsoft Corporation, which program runs on a Macintosh computer. The program Entourage includes email functionality as well as a notes functionality, a calendar functionality and a task or To do functionality. To create a To do item, a user must go to the “To do” view (referred to as a “task”) and select “New” and then enter information for the new “To do.” A user cannot create a To do from an email view or from a note view. They are separate views which the user toggles between by selecting a separate icon for each of those views. The notes functionality is also provided in a separate view in Entourage. A user can copy text in an email while in the email view and then change from the email view to the note view and paste that text into a note. However, the user must switch between the views in order to create a note from text copied from an email.